Center marking device



OC- 27, 1954 J. J. sxDLAUsKAs CENTER MARKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 29, 1962 FIG. 2

Illllllll INVENTOR. JOSEPH J. SIDLAUSKAS L mwf I ATTORNEYS ct. 27, 1964 J. J. slDLAUsKAs 3,153,860

CENTER MARKNG DEVICE Filed May 29, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WA I9 lmm.

FIG. 4

INVENTOR. JOSEPH J. SDLAUSKAS ATTO/lu EYS United States Patent O 3,153,869 CENTER MARKING DEVICE Joseph 3. Sidlauskas, 12 Browns Ave., West Lynn, Mass. Filed May 29, 1962, Ser. No. 198,608 4 Claims. (Cl. 33-189) This invention pertains to a compact hand-operated center marking device for accurately forming a punched register mark on a work surface. It is more particularly concerned with an optically-aligned center marking device or center punch of a simple unitary construction which, when aligned over a predetermined point on a work surface in a cocked condition, can be activated by tinger pressure to release a punch which strikes the redetermined point, leaving a register mark.

optically-aligned spring-activated center punches have been proposed in the past, but have not been entirely satisfactory for several reasons, including unnecessary complexity of structure which renders them susceptible to damage and misalignment, and the use of separate cocking and activating mechanisms which are inconvenient and may cause operating difficulty.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide an improved center marking device whose operation is simplified, and yet attords accurate results. It is a further object of the invention to provide a center marking punch having an improved cocking and tiring mechanism for a spring-loaded punch. It is still another object o` the invention to provide a center marking punch of improved construction, which accurately forms punch marks in alignment with an optical axis. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

Brietiy stated, according to a preferred embodiment thereof, I may carry out my invention by rotatably mounting a spring-loaded punch hammer in a housing which also has adjustably mounted thereon an optical sight, so arranged with respect to a base plane of the housing that the punch when released intersects the base plane on the optical axis of the sight. Combined with these elements is an improved cooking and firing mechanisrn, actuable by a single lever to spring-load the hammer and to release the hammer when manually triggered.

The housing has a viewing opening extending through the plane surface of the base, and the viewing opening extends into a side recess adapted to receive the cocking and tiring assembly. The spring-loaded hammer is rotatably mounted in the side recess and is adapted when released to strike through the viewing opening in the housing on a predetermined point defined by the intersection of the optical axis and the base plane.

The cocking and firing assembly includes a cooking lever and a detent or sear, rotatably mounted on spaced pivots in the side recess. A hammer-engaging shoulder is formed ou the cocking lever, extending beneath the hammer for raising it to a cocked position when the lever is depressed. One end of the detent is arranged to engage and hold the hammer in the cocked position. The other end of the detent has a leveled face positioned to be engaged by the cocking lever when the latter is in a raised position. The detent may be caused to rock by applying finger pressure to the cocking lever, to release the hammer. Thus, the pre-loaded hammer may be actuated, subsequent to its optical alignment with a point to be punched, by a simple movement which minimizes the risk of misaligning the punch from the lected point While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out the subject matter which I regard as my invention, it is believed that the invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed de- "ice scription of a preferred embodiment thereof, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a sectional View in elevation taken along line 1-1 of FIG. 4, showing the improved punch in a cocked position, and also showing, by means of broken lines, the relative movement of the hammer and of the cocking lever;

FIG. 2 is a top plan View;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional plan View taken along line 4 4 of FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of the improved center punch is organized about a housing generally indicated at 10, which has a bottom plane surface 11 adapted to conform to a work surface 5 on which a register mark is to be made. The housing 10 contains a viewing aperture 12 in its base and a side recess 13 which carries a cooking and firing assembly.

The cooking and firing assembly comprises a hammer 14 carrying a punch 1S and rotatably mounted on two pivot screws 16 and 17. The punch 15 can have any desired shape, and is threaded into the hammer 14 to permit easy replacement. A spring 18 acts on the hammer 14 to urge it downwardly. Pivot screws 16 and 17 are carried in a hole 19 in the housing 10, and are retained by two set screws 20 and 21, which may be loosened to permit sideways alignment of the hammer 14. A rotatable cooking lever 22 in the recess 13 is also held by pivot screws 16 and 17, although it may be mounted at another pivot point if desired. The cocking lever 22 is extended to form a finger bar 23, and a shoulder 24 extending roughly at right angles thereto under the hammer 14. The shoulder 24 is carried by two fillets 35 and 36 extending from the finger bar 23. When the finger bar 23 is depressed to the position shown by the dotted lines in FIG. l, the hammer 14 -is elevated from the position shown by the dotted -lines to the cocked position as illustrated.

The hammer 14 is maintained in a cocked position by a detent 25, which is mounted to rock or pivot in the side recess 13, although it could alternatively be slidably mounted in a suitable bore. The detent is angularly shaped and is mounted in the housing 10 at the base of the angle by means of a pin 26. A catch or shoulder 27 of the detent engages the end of the hammer 14 when the latter is in a raised position, and is held in position to engage the hammer by a suitable spring 28 mounted on the housing 10 by screws 29 and 30. The end of the detent opposite from the shoulder 27 forms a face 31 that contacts the finger bar 23 at an angle when the latter is in a raised position. When the finger bar is forcibly urged against the end of the face 31, the detent 25 is caused to pivot about the pin 26 and thus raise the shoulder 27 to release the hammer 14.

The upper portion of the housing 10 is formed with a sighting bore 39, and carries optical sighting means organized about a casing 40. The optical axis of the sighting means is vertically aligned over the point of impact of the punch 15 on the work surface 5. The optical sighting means includes an eyepiece 42 held in place between a spacing ring 41 and a threaded retaining ring 43. The eye-piece 42 has a reticule 44 engraved thereon within a center opening formed by a shield 45. A reecting lens 46, having a transparent mirrored surface 47 to form a one Way mirron is mounted below the eye-piece 42 in the casing 40, to enlarge the image of the reticule 44 seen by the eye. A flexible gasket ring 48 is interposed between the lens 46 and the ring 41 to prevent damage by excessive tightening of the ring 43. The image appears to be translucent, and there is no obscuration of the work surface.

Casing 4t) is clamped by a .clamping ring 50 to a shoulder 52 that extends upwardly from housing 10. Shoulder 52 is slightly rounded on the outside as shown. This ball or barrel shape facilitates alignment of the eyepiece. Two ears 53 and 54 extend from .the ends of clamping ring 50 and Vare drilled to receive two tightening screws 55'and S6. The tightening screws may be loosened to permit adjustment of .the sighting means by swiveling'it'upon the rounded shoulder 52. The opening 39 terminates in a retaining ledge 57 which holds an enlarging objective lens 58. A spring 59 is placed between lenses 46 and 58 to hold them in position and protect them from shock.

While other optical sighting means can be used, the one illustrated is particularly preferred because it .can be easily and accurately adjusted and because it gives direct over-'the-work sighting with no distortion or blocking of the field of vision.

In the `operation of the device of this invention, the mechanism is cocked by depressing finger Vbar 23 and raising hammer 14 until it is engaged and Vheld by detent 25. Finger bar 23 is then raised to the elevated position. The housing is aligned over the point to be marked on work surface 5. The point on surface V5 may have been formed by scribed lines or the like. The viewing opening 12 is moved over the point, the image of reticule 44 is centered in the opening afforded by shield 45, and the center point is aligned on the point on surface `5. Finger bar 23 is then lightly urged against face 31 yof detent 25 causing hammer 14 to be released and drive punch 15 onto the point causing an indentation.

The integral nature of the ycocking and iiring mechanism can be Vseen to be an essential feature. The cocking leverk by a simple downward motion arms the device.v When raised, it is `in an out-of-the-Way position contiguous to the housing and detent. This gives the device a compactness `which conveniently ts the lingers and facilitates handling, and yet permits triggering of ,the hammer by slight inwardingerpressure on Vthe cocking lever.

' VHaving thus described the invention, what is sought to be protected Lby Letters Patent is succinctly set forth in the following claims.

What I claim is:

, 1. yA centermarking device of, a type having aligning means for centeringthe device with respect to a predetermined point on a work surface, comprising, in combination: housing having a viewing opening in the base thereof and a side recess connecting with said viewing opening; and a cocking and tiring assembly which includes a spring-loaded hammer having a marking punch for marking `the predetermined point on the work surface, said spring-loaded hammer being rotatably mounted in said side recess and adapted when released to strike through said viewing opening, a cocking lever rotatably .mounted in said side recess and having a hammer engaging shoulder extending beneath said hammer and adapted to raise said hammer to a cocked position when said cocking lever is depressed, and a detent in said housing one end of which is adapted to engage and hold said hammer in a cocked position and the other vend having a face positioned to contact said cocking lever when the cocking lever is in a raised position, said detent being adapted to release said hammer when said cocking lever is urged `against said face.

2. The center marking device of claim 1 wherein said detent is mounted to rock about a pin in said housing and rotates in the same plane as said hammer.

3. The center marking device of claim 1 wherein said cocking lever pivots about the same point as said springloaded hammer. l

4. In a center marking punch device: a housing having a basal plane; a spring-loaded hammer rotatably mounted in said housing and arranged to strike a predetermined rpoint on said basal plane; and arming and firing means comprising a cocking lever rotatably mounted in said housing and forming in its opposite ends an outwardly and downwardly movable nger bar and a lip extending beneath said hammer to raise said hammer to a cocked position upon depression of said finger bar, and a spring-loaded movable detent for engaging and holding Said hammer inthe cocked position, said finger bar being engageable in a raised position thereof with said detent to move s aid detent vto release said hammer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,364,497 Wahnish et al. Dec. 5, 1944 2,780,129 Wood Feb. 5, 1957 k2,867,151 lMandler Jan. 6, 1959 ,2,995,992 Merritt Aug. l5, 1961 

1. A CENTER MARKING DEVICE OF A TYPE HAVING ALIGNING MEANS FOR CENTERING THE DEVICE WITH RESPECT TO A PREDETERMINED POINT ON A WORK SURFACE, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: HOUSING HAVING A VIEWING OPENING IN THE BASE THEREOF AND A SIDE RECESS CONNECTING WITH SAID VIEWING OPENING; AND A COCKING AND FIRING ASSEMBLY WHICH INCLUDES A SPRING-LOADED HAMMER HAVING A MARKING PUNCH FOR MARKING THE PREDETERMINED POINT ON THE WORK SURFACE, SAID SPRING-LOADED HAMMER BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SIDE RECESS AND ADAPTED WHEN RELEASED TO STRIKE THROUGH SAID VIEWING OPENING, A COCKING LEVER ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SIDE RECESS AND HAVING A HAMMER ENGAGING SHOULDER EXTENDING BENEATH SAID HAMMER AND ADAPTED TO RAISE SAID HAMMER TO A COCKED POSITION WHEN SAID COCKING LEVER IS DEPRESSED, AND A DETENT IN SAID HOUSING ONE END OF WHICH IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND HOLD SAID HAMMER IN A COCKED POSITION AND THE OTHER END HAVING A FACE POSITIONED TO CONTACT SAID COCKING LEVER WHEN THE COCKING LEVER IS IN A RAISED POSITION, SAID DETENT BEING ADAPTED TO RELEASE SAID HAMMER WHEN SAID COCKING LEVER IS URGED AGAINST SAID FACE. 